


Uncertainty (Heris Ardebit)

by Melzious



Series: From Ash Anew [3]
Category: Promare
Genre: Studio Trigger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-27 02:49:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20753099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melzious/pseuds/Melzious
Summary: People always though of Heris having direction, a path. However, she is plagued with doubts and indecision.





	Uncertainty (Heris Ardebit)

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try and fix the plot errors when this gets wide-released. For now, bear with me, please!

From the moment her little sister was born, Heris Ardebit was scared. She was not scared of the world. No, she could understand the logicality of it, the repetition of the patterns. She was somewhat observant of the people, though a bit naive to their true nature. That did not make her afraid of them, however. She only feared one person...Aina, her darling little sister. She knew Aina would never hurt her; she did not have it in her. She was too kind, too full of love. This presented a dilemma. Heris was never one for common sayings, but she felt in her heart that one held true to the utmost degree. The strongest hate is born from the strongest love.

Heris, at moments, was sure that Aina loved her. Aina’s actions and words spoke for that. Despite this, Heris’s thoughts swirled quickly into poisonous uncertainty. It was entirely possible that Aina held resentment towards her and only acted accordingly to moral obligations and social pressure. People resenting the person who took attention away from them, who made them a mere accessory, was not unheard of-in fact, it was common. Humans are social creatures that need attention, and Heris took all that away from Aina. Heris was considered a prodigy, which naturally put her in the spotlight. On the other hand, Aina was considered ordinary.

But this was far from the truth.

Heris respected and cared for Aina more than anyone else could. Aina had so many merits that Heris lacked in her mind. Aina was caring and could sacrifice her standing for others. She was confident and fearless in Heris’s eyes. She was strong in every sense.

Heris knew she was cowardly. She had difficulty advocating for herself and despite having extreme intelligence, did not know the direction she was heading in. When Foresight offered her a position, she accepted for two reasons. The first being the desire to find something that made her feel like she was accomplishing something that made her feel complete. A small voice whispered in the back of her mind that the only thing holding her back was herself-that she needed to seek her the power she owned: her true self. Heris knew she could not push forward by herself. She determined that she was doing this for Aina. She was doing this to make Aina proud. If she could develop science that would help Aina’s profession in Burning Rescue, then maybe, just maybe, her doubts would dissipate.

That small thought was what forced her to swallow down her morals when Foresight pushed her to work on the Prometheus Project. She was against it from the start; however, Foresight was intuitive. He knew what made her tick, what drove her. When promised that Aina would be among the 10, 000 people to be let aboard the spaceship, she squeezed her eyes shut. Images of the first test she did on a Burnish flashed within her mind. Was it horrible; was it pathetic, that she could not even remember their name? Was she even told it? Would she have cared? A cold tremor trickled throughout her body. How could she continue this? Continuing hurting the Burnish? A tornado of doubts swirled within her mind.

These were all fractured by the influx of memories-memories of her little sister. Heris could clearly remember the last time she saw Aina. God, how long had it been? Far too long. When Aina was extremely young, she was glued to Heris’s side when there was spare time in her schedule. Though they had drifted apart physically, Aina’s smile never faltered or changed when she saw her older sister. That thought stilled the trembling of Heris’s hands. Heris would most definitely be among the few passengers. She had to be. The lead scientist would have to make sure everything ran smoothly and solve any bumps that came in the road. If she rejected the project-if she stopped working on it- how could Aina survived. The Earth was surely doomed. For those who had the information, it was clear as day. Aina and she had to survive. She could not let the most important person in her life perish.

Aina would not like that. Her heart and morals were rooted too deep. She never liked having more privileges than other people. And, most importantly, she never liked seeing people suffer. Every time she saw a Burnish being caught, even the terrorists, she flinched. Heris could tell it punctured her heart. How would she react when she found out that she was on a shipped powered not only by death but by agony and pain, by the anguished cries of misunderstood humans. How would she react when she found out what Heris had done.

It hurt to see Galo thrown in a cell after he had vehemently proclaimed his stance. Though Galo was more brash and crude, Heris could see Aina reflected clearly in his eyes. They were the same...in the most important aspects. She had considered saying something to Foresight, but if she did, he could become resentful or take away Aina’s ticket to a new planet. She returned, however, to speak to the blue-haired man. She did not know exactly why she had. Perhaps, it was because she was looking at a fractured piece of Aina. She did not have enough strength to set him free. He was not Aina. She had to look out for Aina and Aina only.

As she walked through the hall with hollow eyes, she saw the rose locks belonging to her sister. She wanted to tell her so many things. She hated keeping things away from her. It felt like-no it was a betrayal. Yet it was a necessary evil. She did not mention the project and she lied about Aina’s friend. She gave a shaky, unnoticeable breath before steadying herself and whispering to Aina that she had to look out for herself. And that she must, no matter what, come straight to Heris when she received a call. Aina looked heartbroken and confused. Heris had a good guess as to what was going on in her mind. Why did Galo attack the Governor? Was it really true? And why was Heris being so cryptic?

The last thought hurt more than anyone could imagine. Heris stared at Aina’s back as her shoulders slumped lower as she walked away. Even if Aina would hate Heris, it would all be worth it to see her safe. It would be unimaginable living knowing that Aina hated her, but it would be possible. Living knowing that Aina died would not be.

Panic set in when Foresight ordered the takeoff of the Prometheus. Her sister was not there! She was missing and vulnerable. She pleaded with Foresight to wait for Aina. Even though he said they would wait as long as possible, Aina knew those words had no feeling. This was only amplified when he had her threatened.

Tears threatening to form in her eyes, she cast her gaze downward and returned to her post. As she gave the order, warp gates began to form. Though she could not hear the screams of the Burnish from where she was, they were clear in her head. How could they not be when she ran countless tests. Perhaps she could not forget the lives she killed, even if they were Burnish, but Foresight could. He could ignore all the unfortunate flames he had extinguished-all the damage he had dealt. How he could carelessly disregard cries of protest against him. That man had twisted morals if any at all.

Something flashed within Heris’s mind. It was the memory of a Burnish crying out in fear and anger that they were human too. It was the memory of Aina saying that Burnish were people, not animals nor monsters, in a conversation so long ago. Heris could not do this to countless humans. She already had the ashes of so many burned onto her skin, etched within her soul. She would not do this. She would not be like Kray Foresight.

Then she got a transmission from Aina that cemented her decision. Perhaps it was because Aina was on Earth and would have to suffer and die from the eruption. Perhaps it was because she could not bear to be responsible for any more death.

She was doing it for Aina. No-this time, she was doing it for herself. She would wake her sleeping courage and put an end to this. And so she did-she overloaded the engine with an influx of power. She knew that doing this would lead to her death. She had accepted that nearly entirely, but not quite.

When she first heard the footsteps of Vulcan, she froze. Where could she go? There was nowhere left. Yet she ran for a reason unknown to her. As she reached the edge of the ship, she could not see anything amidst the wreckage and smoke. She jumped. Not to reach her death, but to reach the beginning of the true her-of life.

Aina was alive. Aina would catch her, just as she would catch Aina. The Ardebits would stand together through ash and smoke no matter what.

And for the first time that she could recall, she had no uncertainty.

**Author's Note:**

> I know a lot of Heris's character wasn't outright stated, but I kind of thought of her being reliant of her sister emotionally, despite the distance and age difference.


End file.
